Sunset to Sunrise
by xMxRosex
Summary: Daine, I have to go now." She was silent, utterly lost for words. A Numair and Daine oneshot with a twist.


**Disclaimer: I own none of these characters, they all belongs to the magnificent and glorious Tamora Pierce :D**

----------------------------

Orange sunset light reflected off Daine's curls. Her eyes, set towards the horizon, were filled with light. She sat in loose breeches on a grassy plane. Somehow in the midst of disaster there was this eye in the storm. The rolling hills and sweetly scented air denied the horrors of the recent massacres. Some people would have called the field silent, but to Daine, it was alive. She felt tiny insects working the rich soil, could discern the whistle of birds on the wind and reveled in the chirping of crickets into the summer air. All these things calmed Daine, and yet she felt the nibbling of pain at the edges of her consciousness. Feeling both delightfully and terrifyingly alone, the young woman kept her vigil with slim arms resting on her peaked knees.

Then, the images came upon her, the shock of blood, the grunt of men thrusting weapons into women's chests. She could smell the cowardice of men as their homes and children were burned before their eyes, and feel deep in her bones the aches of animals slaughtered. Each death, human and animal was etched on her flesh, bones and soul. Then the images stopped and the world returned, but the smell of burning human meat never left.

Daine had seen too much to cry, like she used to after the bandit raids. She was filled with hard purpose, she would do everything possible to stop them, nothing was holding her back. She didn't want to dream of the women raped anymore, nor the burning feathers of eagles. So things had to change. King Jon had sent her here to help and that's what she would do. She squinted at the horizon and closed herself off to emotion. She would fight for her home, her friends and for Numair.

---------------------------------

Numair stood behind Daine, so far in the distance of the sprawling field that her lithe frame was just a speck. He couldn't feel the cold of the impending night, and the breeze seemed to grace right through him. His eyes lit up and sparkled at the sight of his magelet, although he felt slightly perverse for just watching her when she didn't know he was here. Numair couldn't help it though. That long chestnut hair drove him mad. He couldn't help but wonder what the curls would feel like up against his cheek. His hands clenched into fists as he suppressed his shuddering desire. No, she was his student. It couldn't be that way. He was too old.

So without moving, he watched that speck in the distance as the wind continued to breeze right through his towering height and the last of the orange sun licked the hills, then dipped under.

Once the sun sunk into the earth, Daine rose and stretched what she supposed were stiff legs, though she felt numb and oddly hollow. The night sky was cloudy and a few stars peeked through the purple heavens. She spun and began to make her way back to camp, from where there rose inviting smoke, laughter and flickering firelight. It was unbearable really. She used to be so full of life and brimming with emotion that she had to tame herself down. Now though, she had changed.

Lifting her weary limbs she walked towards camp, feeling as though she had trodden that path a million times over. There was a slim figure in the distance, tall and shadowy silhouetted against the night sky.

Hmph, she thought he almost reminded her of Numair, but that was impossible. Then the figure seemed to drift slowly towards her too. Her heart thudding loudly, Daine kept striding towards the figure, ready to grab her bow and arrow if the stranger turned out to be a bandit.

Numair could hardly contain his excitement as he walked towards Daine, he knew she could see him, but wasn't quite sure of who he was. To trick her, he felt the warm fire of his magic within and drew on it. He disappeared, drawing a soft gasp from the young woman 50 meters away. He reappeared silently behind her, his bare feet touching the earth with barely a whisper or ripple of air.

"What the…?" breathed Daine as her curls bounced uncertainly. Then she felt soft movement right behind her and she was filled with a burning sense of urgency. She spun, bathed in moonlight. And there, there was Numair.

"No, no this is not happening… Numair, have I gone mad? You're not here Numair YOUR NOT HERE!" The cry echoed through the night.

The tall man frowned down into the girls wide, frightened eyes and spoke with a warm, rich voice,

"Of course I'm here magelet, I certainly would not leave you alone to tread the hills by yourself."

Daine trembled and her voice grew hoarse, "No you can't be here."

Numair raised his eyebrows; I thought I just explained to you. What's wrong you look pale, are you sick?"

His large hand felt her forehead and he relished the feeling of her skin, but was dismayed when she flinched him off.

"No Numair, you can't be here, because you're dead."

He looked mildly interested.

"Daine, I don't know about that…" Daine interrupted,

"It took three of the realms most powerful mages to catch you, and it took twenty to kill you."

"Really? Oh well that explains why you look so pale then."

Something in Daine cracked, "Don't sound so casual! You died and left me here to mourn."

"Left you here?"

"Yes!" Daine's voice faltered, "Numair, you're dead, what are you doing here?"

"I guess I couldn't just leave."

The night darkened and the sounds of nature seemed to fade.

Daine trembled more violently,

" Numair I never said it to you, but I…"

"Daine don't say it." Numair's amused expression slipped into something darker

"Why not?"

"Because I'm old, and your teacher, and apparently I'm dead."

"But…"

"DAINE I'm warning you!"

"I love you." Her words slipped quickly out into the night and then Numair was silent, he felt a catch in his throat.

Then there was a long silence while Daine looked pleadingly at her teacher, and Numair, burning with restrained passion stared into the long bladed grass.

Then Daine whispered, "You're dead, why are you still here?"

"Because I couldn't leave without you."

"Then what are you going to do?" exclaimed Daine with wide eyes, "Kill me so I won't be without you."

" No, Magelet, I would never do that. I would rather wait a thousand or more years,or whenever you die in purgatory, then be selfish enough to take your life."

" Fine then, I'll do it myself." Daine burned in an unfamiliar, dark voice. Numair was scared,

" Do _what_ yourself?"

" I'll kill myself so I can be with you."

" Don't be an idiot, Daine you're being entirely melodramatic"

"Fine then, say it."

" Say what?"

" Say you love me and I won't kill myself."

" Daine, you're much too young for me."

The young woman tentatively slipped forward and extra step until her nose was nearly touching her teacher's neck.

" I don't care." She said in that same fiery voice which made Numair's body tingle with pleasure.

" Daine," Numair pleaded half heartedly, " I'm dead, you can't do this."

" I don't care." She repeated stoically

" Daine…"

Daine nervously kissed the nape of Numair's neck. Even though he wasn't alive she could feel the heat substantiality of his body. Numair failed to conceal his moan. Then Daine hesitated and let her warm breath flutter into the evening.

"I'm sorry." she whispered.

Numair just stood there gazing into the distance and trying to ignore the warm smell of hay which floated about Daine.

Then he looked back into his magelet's eyes with so much burning passion that she was frightened. He grasped her hand to his chest and then pulled up her hand to his face, where he gently slipped one of her fingers into his mouth. He sucked it for a bit and bit it lightly, sending tremors through Daine's body. Tears welled up in her eyes, " Numair, I miss you so much. I can't do this, because the Black God will come. He has to take you back and I can't do this. I cant loose you again. You put me through hell." Then the cold tears made little diamond drops on the grass blades. Numair removed Daine's finger from his mouth.

"Magelet, we'll be together in Death eventually. And by the God's I don't want you to die without me giving you a taste of what it feels like to be loved by me."

" Numair, I have friends who love me just as much…"

"Daine," Numair interrupted embarrassedly, "I meant physically, loved physically."

"Oh."

She replied with a blush

With that Numair bit sweetly into the palm of Daine's hand. She moaned again then pushed Numair to the ground so he was beneath her.

"Ow" he complained, "that hurt."

"Shut up." Whispered Daine, as she stripped Numair of his shirt and admired his toned upper body.

Numair rolled Daine onto her back and straddled her ripping her tunic off, letting the buttons pop musically to the earth.

His mouth found its way to the rim of her breast band and tugged urgently at the material. Then the fabric slipped and his mouth found its way to the sensitive skin beneath.

Daine gasped and her fingernails scraped the skin on Numair's back as she held on for her life. She wildly kissed the powerful mage's long hair at the root, and pushed him further into her curves.

Numair was astounded; he never thought Daine would be so, well wild. He had a claim to many women, but his student, his forbidden love was the most passionate of them all.

Then Daine ripped off Numair's breeches and threw them into the field. She felt desperate; she needed to feel every tiny bit of his skin, because she may not feel it again. The tears still fell softly onto her cheeks. Numair's warm body was pushed against her own and she whispered, "Numair, Gods Numair, I never want this to end."

Then he was inside her and felt with relish her sweet flesh. He sucked on her neck with desperation as he worked into a rhythm. Every inch of Daine was burning hot and she moaned, "Oh Goddess," as the convulsions sent her body writhing. Numair shuddered with release and held her body so close that he thought it might melt into him.

They lay like that for eternity, never wanting the night to end. At some point Daine fell asleep but Numair lay there with his magelet in his arms, eyes wide awake.

-------------------------------------

Dawn drew near and the air sparkled with pink sunrise. The summer morning was warm, and Daine woke up. Numair was standing next to her, with only his breeches on. He sensed her awaken and didn't turn. Looking at her would be too hard.

"Daine, I have to go now."

She was silent. Utterly lost for words.

"I will wait for you in the Black God's realm. You'll like it there. It's peaceful."

Daine found words, "I can't live without you."

He smiled into the distance, "Don't be melodramatic Daine."

Then he was gone, simply gone. The pink sunlight lit Daine's eyes and he was gone.

She sat in the field, with eyes steadily on the horizon, watching. Then she stood up and announced to the morning, "Those damn bandits better not get it my way. Coz I've got stuff to live for, but by the Gods I've got a hell of a lot to die for too."

She made her way back to camp, the sunrise on her back.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! This is my first fic so I hope you all enjoy it. Even if just one person reads this I'll be happy because it really means a lot to me. Please review, it's what keeps me alive…Feel free to be critical in your reviews but you're welcome to be nice too! Hopefully I will be posting more oneshots up and maybe a series when I have the time. Thanks so much xx**


End file.
